Christophe Dumaux

Counter Tenor

Biography

French Countertenor Christophe Dumaux made his spectacular professional debut at 22 singing Eustazio in Handel’s Rinaldo at the Festival de Radio France, co-produced by the Innsbruck Festival and the Berlin Staatsoper, and released on CD by Harmonia Mundi.

He is since regularly invited by the most prestigious opera houses and festivals including the Metropolitan Opera, the Paris Opera, the Salzburg Festival, Glyndebourne, the Proms, the Berlin Staatsoper, Chicago…

As a teenager, Christophe Dumaux took part in masterclasses with James Bowman and Noëlle Barker, then continued his studies at the Paris Conservatoire. His career quickly developed, making his Metropolitan Opera debut in 2006 singing Unulfo, Rodelinda (Handel), and in 2012 he marked his debut at the Salzburg festival in a new production of Giulio Cesare. In 2013 he returned to the Met where he was praised unanimously by critics for his superb Tolomeo, a production seen worldwide in live cinecast.

2014 marked his first Mozartian role when he sang Farnace (Mitridate) at the Drottningholms festival, a role he has since performed to acclaim at the Théâtre des Champs-Elysées.

Christophe Dumaux has given concerts in Germany, Switzerland, Canada, America and South Korea, with renowed orchestras such as the Los Angeles Philharmonic and renowned conductors such as William Christie, Yannick Nézet-Séguin and Emmanuelle Haïm. He has also been invited for solo recitals in Carnegie Hall and with ensembles such as the Moscow Soloists and the Freiburger Barockorchester.

Christophe has recorded with Naïve and Harmonia Mundi and can be seen on DVD in Giulio Cesare from Glyndebourne and the Opéra de Paris, Giasone from the Vlaamse Opera, Partenope from Copenhagen and Mitridate from the Théâtre des Champs-Elysées.

The 2017/18 season’s engagements included his debut at the Wiener Staatsoper and at the Hamburg Opera, his return to Glyndebourne, and European concert tours with the Arts Florissants and La Cetra Barockorchester Basel.

Next season Christophe Dumaux returns to the Theater an der Wien in Orlando to sing the title role and as Egeo in Teseo. He also returns to Zurich for 2 productions including Semele and makes his debut at the Monte-Carlo Opera as Polinesso.

Season 2018/2019

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Reviews

“The French countertenor Christophe Dumaux steals every scene he is in as the calculating Ptolemy. His voice is bright, clear and strong. Tall, trim and athletic, he is a natural onstage. In one taunting aria, he executes a full body flip as easily as tossing off a trill.”

“A better name for this production might be “Tolomeo,” given Christophe Dumaux’s electrifying performance as that villain. His lean, tangy countertenor whizzed through coloratura as nimbly as he pranced though choreographer Andrew George’s martial arts moves.”

More Reviews

“The French countertenor Christophe Dumaux steals every scene he is in as the calculating Ptolemy. His voice is bright, clear and strong. Tall, trim and athletic, he is a natural onstage. In one taunting aria, he executes a full body flip as easily as tossing off a trill. ”

“A better name for this production might be “Tolomeo,” given Christophe Dumaux’s electrifying performance as that villain. His lean, tangy countertenor whizzed through coloratura as nimbly as he pranced though choreographer Andrew George’s martial arts moves.”

“Christophe Dumaux was a hoot, a countertenor secure and audible across the vocal range, bouncing about the stage with an acrobat’s skill and a comedian’s timing.”

Susan Elliott, Musical America Apr 10th 2013

“He not only sang his tricky arias with fresh, even tone and immaculate technique, he also acted up a storm, making this lascivious villain into a comic delight. Dumaux managed to steal just about every scene he was in — even dashing off a somersault at one point in his exuberance.”

“Nous attendions avec gourmandise les débuts de Christophe Dumaux dans le rôle-tire, lui qui est déjà le meilleur Tolomeo de ces dernières années. Registres contrastés mais unis, chant incisif et constamment expressif, aisance dans la vocalise comme dans l’élégie, trilles…voici peut-être le Cesare le mieux chantant que nous ayons jamais entendu. Ajoutez à cela une aisance scénique telle qu’on le croirait né sur les planches, et ce qu’il nous offre se résume en deux mots : admirable et exemplaire ![Because he has been the best Ptolemy of the last few years, we greatly anticipated Christophe Dumaux’s debut in the title-role. His registers differ but are united, his singing is incisive and constantly expressive and he performs vocally with ease, whether he sings elegies or trills… We have most probably never heard a better-singing Cesare. With that, he has an incredible ease on stage, so much so that he could have been born on it. All in all, what he offers can be summarized in two words: brilliant and exemplary!] ”